“The club could fill the stadium” – Cristiano Ronaldo once expressed a desire to join Lionel Messi’s former club PSG
Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo admitted he could see himself playing for Lionel Messi's former club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) back in 2019.
Ronaldo plied his trade for Serie A giants Juventus that year. He had come off a largely successful 2018-19 season, where he netted 28 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions, winning the Serie A title and the Supercoppa Italiana.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner sat down with former France Football journalist Thierry Marchand for a series of interviews for the latter's book, Flammarion.
Marchand asked Cristiano Ronaldo (via L'Equipe):
"So, Cristiano, when will we see you in Paris?"
Ronaldo replied:
'The door is open. Just with the Portuguese from the Paris region, the club could fill the stadium. I can see myself at the Parc des Princes, in front of fifty thousand Portuguese people. That would be great.''
The Portugal ace would have had the opportunity to link up with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar at PSG at the time, which would have been a destructive attacking trio.
Instead, Cristiano Ronaldo opted to join Manchester United in 2021, leaving the door open for Lionel Messi to join Les Parisiens that summer. The latter had a decent two-year tenure at the French capital, scoring 32 goals and registering 34 assists in 75 appearances while winning two Ligue 1 titles.
Lionel Messi addresses his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo after winning eighth Ballon d'Or
Inter Miami ace Lionel Messi recently reflected on his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, implying it may not be over after he won his eighth Ballon d'Or in Paris on Monday, October 30.
Lionel Messi beat Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to the illustrious prize on Monday, taking him three clear of Ronaldo. Messi credited the Portugal icon for spurring him on to reach great heights over the years (via GOAL):
"It was a great battle, from a sporting point of view. We fed off each other's rivalry because we're both great competitors. He, too, always wanted to win everything, all the time. It was a very enjoyable time for both of us and for everyone who loves football."
He added:
"I think we deserve a lot of credit for having managed to stay at the top for so long. Because as they say, it's easy to get there. What's difficult is staying there. And we stayed at the top for ten, fifteen years. It's very difficult to stay at that level and it's spectacular. And I think it remains a good memory for all those who followed us."
While the GOAT debate between both superstars may truly never end, it's important to value both players as they approach the twilight years of their careers. Cristiano Ronaldo will next be in action against Al-Khaleej on Saturday, November 4 while Lionel Messi's MLS season is over until February.